Brenton Crabtree gets life sentence for murder of Douglas Tripp

Brenton Crabtree sits with his attorneys after he was found guilty of murder at his trial in the Marion County Courthouse in Ocala on Friday. Crabtree was on trial for the March 2012 murder of Douglas Tripp.

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Tears could be seen on both sides of the courtroom aisle as both the Crabtree and Tripp families grieved, first apart and then together.

"A son doesn't have a father for nothing," said Leslie Blewett, Tripp's ex-girlfriend and mother of his 14-year-old son. "For just a senseless reason, and I feel that justice has been served. I also feel very sorry for the Crabtree family for what they are going through."

Tripp died inside his home on March 8, 2012. He left behind three sons.

The jury deliberated for two hours before delivering its verdict. Crabtree's mother, Ava Newton, and 14-year-old sister, Ciara Brooks, choked back tears as they told the judge that in their eyes justice was not served.

"I don't think you found justice. I think you found the wrong one to put away," Ciara said. Crabtree, dressed in a suit and tie, did not show a reaction to the verdict. He has 30 days to appeal.

After the jury left the room, Newton walked over to Blewett, catching her in a big embrace while the two sobbed into each other's arms.

Crabtree and Tripp met in 2011 at Murphy's Oyster Bar through a mutual friend, according to Assistant State Attorney Robin Arnold. Assistant State Attorney Amy Berndt served as co-counsel.

Friday morning began with closing arguments from both sides.

Defense attorney Candace Hawthorne accused another man, Kenard Singh, of being the shooter. Singh, who knew Brenton Crabtree, is currently serving a 21-year prison sentence for his role in the case.

Singh told authorities that he and Crabtree tried to break into the victim's house, but it was Crabtree who shot and killed Tripp.

"Ladies and gentleman I submit to you it was Kenard Singh who committed this offense," Hawthorne said. She pointed out that Singh knew details about the case that only someone at the scene that night might know.

Hawthorne also noted that DNA evidence did not link Crabtree to the scene, and shell casings found at the scene did not match any firearm that authorities examined in this case.

But phone records and surveillance footage from the McDonald's near Tripp's house on Southeast Fourth Avenue suggested Crabtree could have been in the area of Tripp's home at the time of the murder, according to the state.

In her closing argument, Arnold described how on the evening of March 8 Tripp stopped to pick up beer and Salem cigarettes, then continued to the Ocala house where he had lived for the past 30 years. An hour and a half later he was shot dead while eating dinner at his kitchen counter.

"Shot to death by the defendant, Brenton Crabtree," Arnold said.

On Thursday, Crabtree's friend Delorna O'Connor testified Crabtree told her he killed Tripp "because he was mad he couldn't get into the house, he was homeless, he was hungry. I don't know where the house was, but he was talking about Tripp's house because he had talked about it before."

O'Connor said Crabtree indicated he had targeted Tripp before.

Crabtree's brother, Keith, testified on Thursday that the brothers had been homeless and hungry in the past.

After the jury was dismissed, Circuit Judge Brian Lambert sentenced Crabtree to life in prison. That will run concurrently with an eight-year sentence he already is serving in an unrelated case.

Crabtree's family in the courtroom described him as good natured and a hard worker.

"I know he is not the one," said his mother, Ava Newton, an Ocala resident. She voiced frustration about how the story of the March 8 events had changed over time.

"Doug was a wonderful, wonderful man," said Blewett, the victim's ex-girlfriend. "He was very giving and unfortunately, if Mr. Crabtree would have been so hungry, all he would have had to do is knock on Mr. Tripp's door and Mr. Tripp would have fed him. That was Douglas Tripp. He would have fed him."

<p>Nineteen-year-old Brenton Crabtree was sentenced to life in prison Friday afternoon after a jury found him guilty in the 2012 murder of Douglas Tripp.</p><p>Tears could be seen on both sides of the courtroom aisle as both the Crabtree and Tripp families grieved, first apart and then together.</p><p>"A son doesn't have a father for nothing," said Leslie Blewett, Tripp's ex-girlfriend and mother of his 14-year-old son. "For just a senseless reason, and I feel that justice has been served. I also feel very sorry for the Crabtree family for what they are going through."</p><p>Tripp died inside his home on March 8, 2012. He left behind three sons.</p><p>The jury deliberated for two hours before delivering its verdict. Crabtree's mother, Ava Newton, and 14-year-old sister, Ciara Brooks, choked back tears as they told the judge that in their eyes justice was not served.</p><p>"I don't think you found justice. I think you found the wrong one to put away," Ciara said. Crabtree, dressed in a suit and tie, did not show a reaction to the verdict. He has 30 days to appeal.</p><p>After the jury left the room, Newton walked over to Blewett, catching her in a big embrace while the two sobbed into each other's arms.</p><p>Crabtree and Tripp met in 2011 at Murphy's Oyster Bar through a mutual friend, according to Assistant State Attorney Robin Arnold. Assistant State Attorney Amy Berndt served as co-counsel.</p><p>Friday morning began with closing arguments from both sides.</p><p>Defense attorney Candace Hawthorne accused another man, Kenard Singh, of being the shooter. Singh, who knew Brenton Crabtree, is currently serving a 21-year prison sentence for his role in the case.</p><p>Singh told authorities that he and Crabtree tried to break into the victim's house, but it was Crabtree who shot and killed Tripp.</p><p>"Ladies and gentleman I submit to you it was Kenard Singh who committed this offense," Hawthorne said. She pointed out that Singh knew details about the case that only someone at the scene that night might know.</p><p>Hawthorne also noted that DNA evidence did not link Crabtree to the scene, and shell casings found at the scene did not match any firearm that authorities examined in this case.</p><p>But phone records and surveillance footage from the McDonald's near Tripp's house on Southeast Fourth Avenue suggested Crabtree could have been in the area of Tripp's home at the time of the murder, according to the state.</p><p>In her closing argument, Arnold described how on the evening of March 8 Tripp stopped to pick up beer and Salem cigarettes, then continued to the Ocala house where he had lived for the past 30 years. An hour and a half later he was shot dead while eating dinner at his kitchen counter.</p><p>"Shot to death by the defendant, Brenton Crabtree," Arnold said.</p><p>On Thursday, Crabtree's friend Delorna O'Connor testified Crabtree told her he killed Tripp "because he was mad he couldn't get into the house, he was homeless, he was hungry. I don't know where the house was, but he was talking about Tripp's house because he had talked about it before."</p><p>O'Connor said Crabtree indicated he had targeted Tripp before.</p><p>Crabtree's brother, Keith, testified on Thursday that the brothers had been homeless and hungry in the past.</p><p>After the jury was dismissed, Circuit Judge Brian Lambert sentenced Crabtree to life in prison. That will run concurrently with an eight-year sentence he already is serving in an unrelated case.</p><p>Crabtree's family in the courtroom described him as good natured and a hard worker.</p><p>"I know he is not the one," said his mother, Ava Newton, an Ocala resident. She voiced frustration about how the story of the March 8 events had changed over time.</p><p>"Doug was a wonderful, wonderful man," said Blewett, the victim's ex-girlfriend. "He was very giving and unfortunately, if Mr. Crabtree would have been so hungry, all he would have had to do is knock on Mr. Tripp's door and Mr. Tripp would have fed him. That was Douglas Tripp. He would have fed him."</p><p><i>Contact April Warren at 867-4065 or April.Warren@ocala.com.</i></p>